Google Earth’s AI deepfake tool only lasted one day

July 31, 2026 Jay Peters

An image showing Nano Banana 2 in Google Earth
Pompeii reimagined with Nano Banana 2 in Google Earth. | Image: Google

Google has shut down Google Earth feature it launched Thursday that allowed users to edit satellite images with text prompts using AI. The tool essentially let users create AI deepfakes of the real world using text prompts; Digital Digging's Henk van Ess, for example, intentionally generated images adding things like refugees near the Mexican border and a bomb crater by a hospital in Gaza. On Thursday, Google's initial response to van Ess noted that images generated with Nano Banana 2 in Google Earth included a digital watermark and that the company prevented "image creation on harmful topics."

One day later, Google's new statement says tha …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Previous Article
Apple’s new AirTags are back down to their best price
Apple’s new AirTags are back down to their best price

We spotted a great deal on Tile trackers earlier this week that’s still live, but if you’re an iPhone owner...

Next Article
The NHTSA is investigating 1.2 million Tesla vehicles over suspension failure reports
The NHTSA is investigating 1.2 million Tesla vehicles over suspension failure reports

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is probing nearly 1.2 million Tesla vehicles aft...